[RHEL 6] 'smartctl -a /dev/sda' command fails for SAS-controller disks

Issue

• After upgrade from RHEL 5.7 to 6.2, command smartctl -a /dev/sdX is failing with below error messages for SAS-controller disks:

  $ smartctl -a /dev/sda
  smartctl 5.39.1 2010-01-28 r3054 [x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu] (local build)
  Copyright (C) 2002-10 by Bruce Allen, http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net
  === START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
  Model Family:     Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 family
  Device Model:     ST3750640AS
  Serial Number:    223356FF
  Firmware Version: 3.ADG
  User Capacity:    750,156,374,016 bytes
  Device is:        In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]
  ATA Version is:   7
  ATA Standard is:  Exact ATA specification draft version not indicated
  Local Time is:    Mon Jan 27 10:33:00 2012 MET
  SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
  SMART support is: Enabled
  
  Error SMART Status command failed                          <------
  Please get assistance from http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/
  A mandatory SMART command failed: exiting. To continue, add one or more '-T permissive' options.